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Pips hints — Saturday, August 15, 2026

An archived puzzle. Pick your difficulty for a spoiler-safe nudge, then reveal the full board if you want it.

Saturday, August 15, 2026Archived board

The Easy grid runs to 4 regions and 5 tiles, with target-sum and all-equal rules in play. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hint 1 — where to start

Easy
Start with the amber region — its one cell must be exactly 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 6–5 domino down column 3, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 5. The 6 half sits in the purple region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — August 15, 2026

65
06
44
66
33

blue (=8): 4 · 0 · 4 | purple (=): 6 · 6 · 6 · 6 | green (=): 3 · 3 | amber (=5): 5

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue8 — Add up to exactly 83
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell4
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber5 — Be exactly 51

The Medium grid runs to 9 regions and 7 tiles, with greater-than, target-sum, all-equal and less-than rules in play. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hint 1 — where to start

Medium
Start with the amber region — its one cell must be more than 4. Only 2 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Place the 3–6 domino across row 2, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to more than 4. The 3 half sits in the orange region, which must add up to exactly 6.

Hint 3

Medium
The 1–6 belongs down column 4, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must add up to more than 4. The 1 half sits in the pink region, which must add up to less than 3.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — August 15, 2026

46
13
16
62
36
20
42

blue: 4 | purple (>8): 6 · 4 | green: 6 | amber (>4): 6 | orange (=6): 3 · 3 | slate (=): 2 · 2 | teal (>4): 6 | pink (<3): 1 · 0 · 1 | lime (<3): 2

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
BlueTake any value it likes1
Purple>8 — Add up to more than 82
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber>4 — Be more than 41
Orange6 — Add up to exactly 62
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell2
Teal>4 — Be more than 41
Pink<3 — Add up to less than 33
Lime<3 — Be less than 31

The Hard grid runs to 17 regions and 15 tiles, with greater-than, all-equal, target-sum and less-than rules in play. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hard is where most players get stuck.We break it into small, spoiler-safe nudges so you can stop the moment you’re unstuck.

Hint 1 — where to start

Hard
Start with the orange region — its two cells must add up to exactly 0. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 0–0 domino across row 3, columns 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must add up to exactly 0.

Hint 3

Hard
The 1–1 belongs down column 2, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 4–4: down column 3, rows 7–8. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — August 15, 2026

01
44
05
21
00
64
30
62
45
11
43
65
20
66
04

blue (>4): 5 | purple (>0): 2 | green (>16): 6 · 6 · 5 | amber (>3): 4 | orange: 0 | slate (=): 1 · 1 · 1 · 1 | teal (=0): 0 · 0 · 0 | pink: 0 | lime (<3): 2 | brown (=): 6 · 6 | blue (=): 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 | purple (=8): 6 · 2 | green: 3 | amber: 3 | orange (=0): 0 · 0 | slate (>3): 5 | teal (>3): 4

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue>4 — Be more than 41
Purple>0 — Be more than 01
Green>16 — Add up to more than 163
Amber>3 — Be more than 31
OrangeTake any value it likes1
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell4
Teal0 — Add up to exactly 03
PinkTake any value it likes1
Lime<3 — Be less than 31
Brown= — Show the same number on every cell2
Blue= — Show the same number on every cell4
Purple8 — Add up to exactly 82
GreenTake any value it likes1
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange0 — Add up to exactly 02
Slate>3 — Be more than 31
Teal>3 — Be more than 31
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